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Traditionally, females and video games have been roughly as amenable as caviar and Coors Light.

Today, however, more females are playing video games than ever before. The recent explosion of casual games along with accessible consoles like the Nintendo Wii have created the possibility for gamers to spend time with their girlfriends and their Playstations simultaneously.

It’s in every male gamer’s best interest to introduce his girlfriend to his favorite hobby. Gaming can be a fantastic way to spend time together.

Here are the four simple steps that gamers can follow in order to finally bring their significant other and significant hobby together.

Step 1: Nostalgia.

Nearly everyone has some experience with video games, whether it’s a furious round of Pac-Man on an old Atari console or fond memories of repeatedly saving the princess as Mario. Find out her past with video games and tap into it.

If she was a big Donkey Kong Country fan, for example, then make a trip to a local pawn shop and pick up a Super Nintendo and a copy of the game for her to play. It’s a thoughtful gift that shows that you pay attention when she talks (always a good idea) while simultaneously opening her mind up to the possibility of playing video games again.

To many women, modern games appear to be needlessly-complicated kill fests. Remind her that games exist first and foremost because they are fun. Classic games are easy to pick up and play and that never changes.

Get Your Girlfriend to Play Video Games, Step 2: Casual Games.

Chances are, your girlfriend doesn’t think that shotgunning a guy in the face is half as fun as you do. Once you’ve successfully reminded her of the golden days of gaming, it’s time to move on to more modern fare. The key, however, is proper game selection.

Try puzzle or rhythm games. Women are less into games requiring homicidal impulses and more into those that take concentration and intelligence. The Nintendo DS and Wii are both loaded with games that fit the bill perfectly.

Show her your skills at Guitar Hero or introduce her to a puzzle game like Professor Layton and the Curious Village. She probably won’t jump in right away, but chances are if you show you the right type of game, you’ll at least pique her interest.

Get Your Girlfriend to Play Video Games, Step 3: Leave her Alone.

Trying new things is intimidating. You wouldn’t want to learn to putt with Tiger Woods leaning over your shoulder and chances are your girlfriend doesn’t want to take her first awkward steps into the strange new world of video gaming with someone who has been playing for 20 years critiquing her every move. Make your video games accessible to her, then leave her alone.

Let her get started in private, and when she feels like she’s got a handle on gaming, move on to step 4.

Get Your Girlfriend to Play Video Games, Step 4: The Couple that Games Together…

Start with games that feature cooperative gameplay. Tekken may be your favorite game, but you’re definitely not going to win your girlfriend over by repeatedly pounding her face in every time you play together. Play a game that gives you both a sense of accomplishment.

The couple that can get through Rock Band’s World Tour mode can get through anything.